Just Like Her
by Patty3
Summary: NEW CHAPTER! Duo is the night's dinner entertainment. 'Poor guy, that's how it usually happens. They wait in the library where it's nice and quiet...'
1. Just Like Her

Just Like Her

Chapter 1

It was an ordinary neighborhood, one of white houses and green grass adorned by picket fences framing each and every yard. The air lingered with the feeling of winter as fresh snow gathered in heaps on the grass. The cold was almost unbearable but from one house, the sound of warm laughter was enough to cut through the icy cold of winter. The house itself was decorated with colored Christmas lights draped from the eaves like garland and icicles while a beautiful Christmas tree stood visible from the bay window it was placed in front of. At the center of this boisterous laughter, were two small children tearing away at layers of beautiful paper that encased their presents. Sitting on the couch watching with silent smiles, were too very exhausted parents and weary eyed parents. Everything seemed perfect at that moment.

"Mommy! Jillie is opening my presents!" the little boy cried out to his mom.

"Oh Heero, she's just a baby, she doesn't know any better," his mother replied. She was too tired to get into this at the moment.

Little Heero frowned and then snatched his present from his little sister's hands. She immediately erupted in to uncontrollable hysterics. "Heero! Now why did you do that?" his father told him as he reached for the baby.

"I'm sorry Jillie, here, you can open this one," Heero said as he gave his crying sister another present. 

Baby Jillian cooed with glee on her father's lap and slowly tore away bit by bit the ribbon and paper. "Thank you Heero," his mother said as she placed a kiss on his cheek. "You're a good big brother."

Jillian Noelle Yuy was born in the latter days of winter of this past year, March 17th to be exact. It was a lucky day for the Yuy family. Not only was she Heero's baby sister, she was born on the luckiest day of the year, St. Patrick's Day. Her honey colored hair and sapphire eyes were her mother's contribution, as Heero possessed just the opposite with chocolate brown hair and deep blue eyes, almost an exact replica of his father. 

Heero was only two when his sister was born and was jealous because of the sudden lack of attention he received from his parents. He always looked on with curious eyes as his parents constantly took care of baby Jillian and tended to all of her needs. Heero tried to help his mom but his mom always told him, "You're too young sweetheart. I just need you to be her big brother right now and watch after her."

As months past, Mrs. Yuy started to let Heero help her with the baby, she always called him, 'Her little helper.' Heero quickly grew attached to his little sister and now he adores her, except for when she takes away his Christmas presents. On that morning, within less than thirty minutes, a room once full of beautifully garnished boxes, was now full of paper shreds and strands of ribbon. Buried under it all were Jillian and Heero's new toys. And lastly, all curled up next to each other in a pile of wrapping paper, Heero and Jillian laid fast asleep, completely worn out from all of the excitement of that morning. Heero's parents took a picture of this moment, it was one they couldn't pass up.

Two years have gone by since that day and Heero and Jillian have become almost inseparable. As much as Heero didn't want to admit it, he adored his little sister and would do almost anything for her. Jillian looked up to her older brother from the day she was born practically, following him wherever he went and wanting to do whatever he did. Of course, she couldn't do everything that he did, but when she could, she was right there to do so. Heero enjoyed the fact that his sister looked up to him, he was proud to be her big brother, it gave him a little ego boost, dangerous in the mind of a four year old. One day while they were playing in the living room, little Jillian looked up and said, "I want to be just like you big brother."

"But Jillie, you're a girl and girls can't be like boys," Heero said matter of factly.

"Why not?" she whined.

"You just can't Jillie," Heero told her.

Jillian's lip began to quiver as she got up and scampered off to her mom as fast as her chubby little legs could carry her. Mrs. Yuy heard the crying and went down the hall to intercept her. She bent down and little Jillian ran into her mother's arms. "What's wrong sweety?" her mother asked her softly.

"Big brother said girls can't be boys," she told her between sniffs.

"What?" her mother replied with a little shock in her voice.

"I want to be just like big brother but he told me I couldn't because girls can't be like boys," she cried.

At that moment, Mr. Yuy came down the stairs and saw a teary eyed Jillian in her mother's arms. "What's wrong angel?" he asked as he stroked her soft hair.

"When she told Heero that she wanted to be just like him, Heero told her she couldn't because girls can't be like boys," Mrs. Yuy informed her husband.

"I'll go have a talk with him," he replied as he gave both his girls kisses on the cheeks.

"Come on sugar, mommy just baked some chocolate chip cookies," Mrs. Yuy told her daughter as they walked down the hall back towards the kitchen.

When Mr.Yuy came into the room, Heero was surrounded by a pile of legos and race cars. "Heero?" his father said as he took a seat on the couch. "Come here and sit on my lap."

"Is it about Jillie?" he asked innocently.

"Just come here," his father replied as he patted his lap.

Heero walked over and hopped on to his father's lap. Mr. Yuy took off Heero's hat as his son stared right back up at him with wide blue eyes. "Now Heero, there is no reason why your sister can't be like you."

"But daddy, she's a girl!" Heero pointed out.

"Yes I know that but she doesn't have to be a boy to be like you," his father said reassuringly.

"What?"

"Heero, Jillian looks up to you, your her big brother you know. She watches everything you do with a close eye. All she wants to do is be like you, not be you."

The look of confusion slowly dissipated from Heero's face as he started to understand what his father meant, well kind of. "So Jillie doesn't want to be a boy?"

"No she doesn't, she just wants to be like her big brother," Mr. Yuy replied in a gentle voice.

"I'm sorry I made Jillie cry daddy."

Mr. Yuy just looked down at his son and smiled. "Well let's go tell her that and then we can have some chocolate chips cookies that your mother just made."

Heero's face lit up, he liked the sound of that idea. Mr. Yuy sat up and scooped Heero up into his arms. He put his hat back on his son's head and they walked in the direction of the kitchen. Sitting at the kitchen table were Mrs. Yuy and little Jillian sitting up in her high chair, her mouth covered in chocolate. Heero's dad put him down and Heero walked over to where his little sister was. "I'm sorry Jillie, I didn't mean to make you cry," Heero said coyly.

Their parents looked on in silence as Heero took off his hat and placed it on his little sister's head. "Here, you can have my hat Jillie."

Jillian giggled with delight as the hat slipped down over her eyes. "Would my little man like some cookies?" Mrs. Yuy asked.

"Yeah!" little Heero cried out. "Can I have some milk with that too?"

"You sure can."

After that little incident, not a day has gone by that Jillian hasn't been up in Heero's room going into his stuff and putting on his clothes. Heero didn't mind all that much, he thought it was rather amusing. He even dressed her up in his clothes that were just a little too big for her tiny body. Jillian loved it though, Heero and her were practically attached at the hip no matter where they went. They were very close as far as siblings were concerned and their parents couldn't be happier. But no matter what, Jillian always wore that same old hat that Heero had given her, it was her favorite piece of clothing.

On Heero's 5th birthday, the Yuy's had their whole family over to celebrate the occasion. When it came to opening his presents, he was overwhelmed with joy at the quantity of them all. After ripping and tearing through all of the boxes and paper, Heero had managed to open all of his presents. Needless to say, he was happy with the gifts he got. His aunt had even given him a Golden Retriever puppy as a gift. As the family was about to go get some cake, little Jillian walked into the room with a piece of paper in her hand. "Here Heewo, I have a present for you," she said proudly.

She handed Heero the piece of paper as all eyes were on the two kids. As she handed Heero the paper, she told him, "I drew this just for you."

Everyone looked on with smiles on their faces just waiting for Heero's reaction. With little blue eyes staring right up at him waiting for an answer, he looked down at her and smiled. "Thank you Jillie, this is the best present anyone has ever given me."

"Really, not even the puppy?!" she said happily.

"Uhuh. Now, let's go get some cake!" he said grabbing her by the hand and running off to the kitchen.

The kids named the puppy Honey after the color of his fur. He was a sweet little puppy that neither one could get enough of and was a perfect addition to the family. Things were looking up for the Yuy family, everything seemed just so perfect at that moment in time, they were one big happy family. Who would have thought that it all could have changed within minutes.

On a beautiful spring day, not too shortly after Heero's birthday, the Yuy's were out in the front yard doing some yard work. The kids were playing with Honey as Mrs. Yuy did the gardening and Mr. Yuy mowed the lawn. Heero and Jillian were running around the yard playing tag with their hyper active puppy, running around in every direction. Honey was running in circles after the two kids and in a fit of excitement, ran out into the street. Still thinking they were playing, Jillian ran out into the street after the dog. "No Jillie! Come back here!" Heero cried out.

Mr. Yuy turned of the lawnmower and turned his head to see what all of the commotion was about. He then saw Jillian run out in the middle of the street in front of an oncoming car. "Jillian, no!" her dad cried out but it was too late.

The driver didn't have time to react and collided with the little girl, sending her flying into the air. "Oh my God!" Heero's mom cried as she ran out into the middle of the street to where her daughter laid.

A neighbor, who witnessed everything, called an ambulance immediately. Help arrived in no time but by the time they got there, it was too late. Jillian's frail body couldn't withstand the blow by the car, she had severe internal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Mrs. Yuy, still in a state of shock and disbelief, held her daughter's limp body in her arms and began to cry uncontrollably. Mr. Yuy held his scared 5 year old son in his arms as both of them cried as the coroner took Jillian's body away from her mother. Mr. Yuy, with Heero still in his arms, walked over to his wife and the three embraced, all three in a fit of tears.

Jillian had died on May 5th, less than two months after her third birthday and only weeks after Heero's fifth. That was the day that Heero went silent, hardly speaking a word to anyone. He had lost his beloved little sister, the one who he adored the most. At the funeral, he watched with stoic eyes as they lowered the tiny white casket into the ground. He wanted to cry out to her but the words stuck in his throat, as they would for years to come.


	2. Just Like Her

Just Like Her

Chapter 2

That fateful day that little Jillian died marked the day that Heero died as well, as a person. After witnessing her death right before his eyes, it wasn't until they lowered her casket in her ground that Heero realized he would never see his sister again. The bubbly laughter that once filled the Yuy household with joy had quickly dissipated in to the confines of the silent walls. During the first years after the accident, the pain of Jillian's death was too much for Heero's parents to handle. For the longest time, Mrs. Yuy could not even go into Jillian's bedroom, the slightest thought of her would cause her to become depressed and heart broken. Heero never even stepped foot in her room after that day, just looking at her closed door was hard enough. They never did have any children after Jillian, thus leaving Heero alone during the hardest time of his life.

Eventually time had healed the grief stricken parents but Heero still remained frozen in time, his demeanor never changing since his sister's death. He became stoic and the sparkle that once shined in his eyes had disappeared, leaving nothing but an impassive, empty look in his eyes. He was in school now but that didn't seem to help him. He chose to be a recluse, shutting himself out from the other children and teachers and always keeping to himself when he was around others. He would rarely talked to anyone, not even to his own parents. If he did talk, they were short, unemotional words that when put together, never really meant anything in the first place. The once talkative and fun-loving boy had made himself invisible to the world.

The Yuy's knew how traumatized Heero was by his sister's death and they did everything in their power to try and help their son, but all was done in vain. They tried to talk to him about it but they were always left with no response. Normal conversation was hard to establish with Heero because he said so little. Even a simple, "How was your day?" was too much for him to answer. It came to the point where the Yuy's didn't even know their own son, their only son. Their hearts ached whenever they saw Heero. He refused to open up his heart to anyone, it was as if when Jillian died, she took the key to his heart along with her.

Ever since that day, all he's wanted to do was get away from that house, get away from any memories that he might have had there with Jillian. He tried his hardest to forget her, but even more memories were brought to mind. In his room, the hat that he had given her laid on the top shelf of his closet, collecting dust as it was untouched since that day. Stowed away in Heero's nightstand, tokens from the two most treasured memories he had of his sister. The picture of them curled up next to under the Christmas tree amongst all of the paper, that was Jillian's and his first Christmas together. The other item was almost too painful to even look at. It was the picture she had drawn Heero for his fifth birthday, only weeks before that fateful day. Whenever Heero was in his room, he thought that by closing his eyes, he could make everything go away. 

Heero went on like that for years, even as a teenager he chose to remain that way. His mother never ceased trying to talk to him, in hopes that if she said enough, something was bound to be said back. It came to the point where she didn't care whether it was a negative or positive response, any response was good enough for her. She couldn't stand to see her son like this any longer, if push came to shove, she was going to talk to him.

When Heero entered high school, things started to become a lot harder. His elementary years were much easier since the kids at that age thought he was strange and didn't bother to talk to him. That was easy. Now he is going to be at the place where being anti-social was going to make his life a living hell. There was always something to talk about in high school, rather about someone than anything else. And at that age, kids tend to be more cruel and relentless when it came to others feelings. Heero knew it wouldn't be hard to ignore everything, he had been doing that for most of his life. The question in his mind was how much could he actually take? 

For the first few years of high school, everyone pretty much left him alone, tending to their own personal lives and shallow realities. But then of course you have those obnoxious people that can never seem to keep their mouth shut regardless of anyone's personal feelings. They always seemed to stir up trouble whenever they opened their mouths. In one of Heero's classes, he had the luxury of sitting near one of those people. Usually he ignored this person, concluding that whenever he spoke it was due to his lack of stupidity rather than his need to talk. One day however he could not ignore it. In the middle of a lecture, Heero heard whispering emanating from behind him and for some reason, their conversation caught his interest.

"You're kidding? That guy never talks?" one guy remarked.

"No joke," another replied.

"Man, what a dork! Did he have his tongue cut out or what?" he snickered.

"No man, he's been that way for as long as I can remember. I don't even recall him having any friends," the guy's friend responded.

"What a loser," he said as he glared at him.

"I heard when he was little, his little sister died in a car accident and he saw it all," the one guy informed his friend.

"Oh really? What's his name?" he replied as a smug grin crossed his face.

"His name is Heero," his friend told him.

"Bet you I can make him say something," he boasted.

"What the hell are you going to do?" the boy he was talking to asked. He had a bad feeling about what his friend was going to do.

"Just watch. Hey Heero," he whispered in Heero's direction.

Heero peered at him from the corner of his eye and gave him a look that said to leave him alone. No such chance. "Hey Heero, I heard you killed your sister," the guy spat out.

The pencil that was in Heero's hand broke in two as he snapped it in one swift blow. "What did you say?" he muttered, keeping his eyes directed forward.

"You heard me. I know you killed your sister."

That was the last straw. The once invisible Heero made himself known to the whole school at that very moment. Before the guy knew what was coming, Heero stood up and laid that guy out on the floor, desk and all, with one hard punch to the guy's jaw. With all eyes turned to Heero and the boy on the floor, Heero picked up the guy by the collar of his shirt and hissed, "If you say one thing about my sister, you're going to be eating threw a straw for the rest of your life." 

With those words, he threw the guy back on the ground with a hard thud. When Heero looked up, all eyes were on him, no one was expecting that reaction out of him. After cooling down a bit, he calmly sat back down in his seat without another word said and gave his full attention back to the teacher. The teacher on the other hand, found out what happened by another student and sent the beaten up bully to the principal's office. Class resumed once more but no one could shake off what had just occurred. From that moment on, Heero was no longer the guy who stood in the shadows, he had made himself known with mere actions and only a few words. No one chose to mess with him after that day, and in a way, he had earned their respect, a reason to his silent ways.

It was after that day however, that made Heero's life all the more unbearable. No one realized the true power of what that guy had said. Up to that day, he was finally able to repress all of the memories he had of his sister, but the mere mentioning of Jillian's death started to give Heero reoccurring nightmares of that dreaded day. The event repeated in his head over and over again like a broken record, a constant reminder of that day. From the screeching tires to the moment his sister laid lifeless on the street, fate was determined to not let him forget. Heero knew at that point that he had to get away from that place, get away from the face of the little honey haired cherub that haunted him day in and day out, he just couldn't escape her. 

With graduation only a year away, the talk of college arose and Heero saw that as his chance to get away from it all, to get away from her. Heero had decided to go to a school over seas in a country in Europe. By doing that, he hoped he would be able to start over with his life. After telling his parents of his decision, they were happy yet sadden by it. He was all that they had left but for the simple reason that Heero was still haunted by Jillian's death, they concluded that it would be best for him if he did get away.

The days of his senior year seemed to lag on, slowing pulling him along with painful memories still lingering in his mind. After long months of enduring extreme emotional distress, graduation had come and was only two days away. Heero had planned on leaving for school the day of graduation, as soon as he possibly could. On the eve of his graduation, Heero had walked up stairs to his room but instead, the sight of Jillian's closed door changed his mind. Ever since the day she died, he has not set foot in her room, he didn't want to be reminded of her. But for some reason, he had to go in to her room, like he was compelled to do so. 

He slowly turned the knob and pushed open the door, the sheer innocence of the room sent an eerie sensation throughout his body. Her room was stuck in a time warp, taking him back to the days of his childhood. Heero closed the door behind him and took in the room that once belonged to his sister. Her tiny bed, all of her toys resting on the shelves and her baby blanket folded neatly on the bed. All of it was still fresh in his mind. He sat down in the middle of her room and closed his eyes. 'You were just a child Jillian, pure and innocent. I still have yet to figure out why it was you God had decided to take away that day. I'm sorry Jillian, I have been trying to forget you, this house, and all of the memories that we have shared. The pain in my heart is still lingering within and the thought of you just makes it hurt even more. Please forgive me Jillian,' Heero prayed quietly as silent tears began to fall down his cheeks. 

Watching in the shadows was Heero's mom. She was looking for him and even though Jillian's room was the last place he could be, she looked any ways. Mrs. Yuy had tears in her eyes as she watched her son cry for the first time since his sister's passing. Without saying a word, she left him be and quietly shut the door behind her.

That night, Heero laid in bed immersed in deep thought. Tomorrow he would be leaving for college to pursue a higher degree of learning, but that wasn't the real reason for his going away. He had to get away to a place that would allow him to forget, that would allow him to start over with his life. Heero fell asleep knowing that this would be the last time he would ever sleep in that bed for a long time.

Morning rolled around and Heero had just finished packing for school. He put on his graduation gown and slung his bag over his shoulder. As he walked down the stairs with his duffel back in hand, he took one last look at his bedroom door and then at Jillian's. 'Goodbye Jillian.'

"Well Heero, this is the big day, are you ready?" Mr. Yuy said as his son came down the stairs.

"Yeah," was all Heero had to say.

"You go on ahead, your mom and I will be there later."

Heero nodded in acknowledgment and walked out the door. Before getting in to his car, he turned around and took one good look at his house. After taking a long look, Heero threw his bag in the back seat of the car and drove off to the high school. 

The graduation ceremony meant the starting of a new life for most, but it meant more to Heero. It meant closing the final chapter in his old life and preparing to write a new one. After some lengthy and tearful good-byes from his parents, Heero headed to the airport to catch his flight. Heero had thought that it would be harder to say goodbye to his parents, but oddly enough, it didn't. It felt as if there was a driving force behind all of this, as if something were telling him to go, that it everything would be all right. 

As Heero boarded the plane, he realized that this would be his last chance to back out of this, that this would be the moment his life would change forever. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply as he set his foot in the plane, a new chapter to his life was just around the corner waiting to be written.


	3. Just Like Her

Just Like Her

Chapter 3

Heero put his hand up against the window of the airplane, his fingers caressing the window as the coldness of the air outside cooled his fingertips. As he stared out the window, an image of his little sister formed on the glass. A picture of a golden-haired child with sapphire eyes, a child that always had a sweat smile gracing her cherubic face. That's all she was, just a child, that's how Heero will always remember her. Her soft giggling echoed in Heero's mind as he stared at her image, memories flooding back in to his mind like a damn that had just let go of its water. 

// "Here Heewo, I have a present for you," she said proudly. "I drew this just for you."

"Thank you Jillie, this is the best present anyone has ever given me."

"Really, not even the puppy?!" she said happily.

"Uhuh. Now, let's go get some cake!" // 

He could still remember that day, her gift. She had drew him a picture, a picture that she put her whole heart in to, even if it was just a bunch of colorful scribbles. It was the last birthday he spent with her, the ones after that were never the same. Heero blinked to try and get her face out of his mind, he just didn't want to think about it any more. This is his chance to get away and forget, to try and start over with a happier life than the one he once led. "Ladies and gentlemen, we will be landing shortly so will you please secure all items and fasten your seatbelts. Thank you," the flight attendant announced over the intercom.

That jolted Heero back in to reality and he prepared to land. 'Please Jillian, just leave me alone,' Heero told his deceased sister as he took one last look out the window. About ten minutes later, the plane arrived at its destination point, Switzerland. Heero grabbed his bag from the overhead compartment, slung it over his shoulder, and made his way off of the plane and in to the airport terminal to collect the rest of his baggage. With remaining bags in hand, he went outside to hail a cab. Heero then paused for a moment along the curb as he was greeted by the snow-capped Alps. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes briefly. 'I'm finally free,' he thought as he opened his eyes back up just in time as the cab had just pulled up. Heero threw his bags in the trunk and took a seat in the back of the cab. "Where to young man?" the driver asked with a heavy Swiss accent.

"To Bern please," Heero replied.

The cabby nodded and the car drove off. It was about an hours drive in to the capital so as to pass the time by, the driver tried to make conversation. "So where are you from lad?" he asked as he peered through his rear-view mirror at Heero.

Heero, slumped over in the right corner of the taxi and rested his head against the window. He then answered, "America."

"Oh yeah? So you're from the 'States' eh, what are you doing way over here?"

"Going to school," was Heero's reply.

"I see, at the university in Berns I presume."

"That's the place."

"Is that where you want me to take you lad?" the driver asked.

"No, but a place near there. I'll be staying at an old apartment complex down the street from it. How long from Berns are we?" Heero asked flatly.

"About 30 minutes."

The driver took that question as his cue to cut the conversation and he focused back on his driving. Heero on the other hand, stared aimlessly out the window at the passing scenery. At that moment, Heero must have dozed off because before he knew it, he was right in the heart of the capital city of Berns. "It'll be about 5 more minutes lad," the driver said as he saw that Heero was finally awake.

"Thanks," Heero muttered as he woke himself up. 'Well this is it. It took me almost 13 years to get away from that place. Maybe now I can escape the nightmares that plagued my dreams every night since that fateful day. Maybe now, I can forget.'

"Here we are lad," the driver chimed as the taxi came to a slow and steady halt.

Heero came face to face with a small four story building that was covered in white stucco and detailed with dark wood trim. It had a antiquated feel to it, most likely dated back to the nineteenth century. At the base, a large wooden door adorned with iron detailing that led in to the building itself. Before racking up any more charges on the meter, Heero paid the cab driver and went around back to get his things. With bags in hand, Heero was about to walk to the door when the cab driver spoke up, "Hey lad, good luck."

Heero turned around and nodded in acknowledgment. With that said and done, the cab driver sped off on his way. Heero quickly settled in to his place. He had a top floor room with two windows on the two sides that faced the street. One of the windows had a tiny balcony with a cement border for a railing, an apartment style porch of sorts. The apartment was quaint and consisted of a bathroom, bedroom, kitchen and a living area. Luckily for Heero, it was already furnished with the bare necessities which included a bed, couch and a fully operating kitchen. Heero threw his bags on his bed and took out his wallet. 'Better get some supplies,' he told himself as he locked the place back up to do some shopping.

Towards the end of the summer, Heero finally had everything he wanted in his apartment, all the creature comforts of home. He managed to get a job as a waiter at a restaurant a couple blocks down the street. Scholarships covered most of his school expenses, but room and board and anything else he wanted or needed, he had to take care of himself. The first day of school was drawing near and Heero had already became acquainted with his surroundings. His apartment had come to feel just like home, minus all of the emotional baggage. Heero was starting to enjoy his new life, granted he missed his parents, but to be able to get away was his wish ever since he was five years of age.

The Friday before school started, Heero went to the university to buy his books and take a look around the place, the last thing he needed was to get lost on the first day of class. The university was old and dated back a few hundred years. With walls of stone covered in ivy as old as the school itself, it was as if he was stuck in a time warp. Things just didn't change over there like they did back home in the 'States'. After getting an extensive tour of the place and familiarizing himself with every nook and cranny, Heero went back to his apartment to enjoy the rest of his day off.

The plus side of working at a restaurant was the fact that Heero was able to pick up some good cooking tips and easy recipes. He needed to learn how to cook, eating can food and frozen dinners for his whole college career didn't seem too appealing to his taste buds. Heero managed to whip up some local Swiss cuisine and then settled down on the sofa in front of the tv. Since he didn't quite understand most of the dialect spoken in that area, Heero subjected himself to anything he could find that was in English. He signed up for a language class for his first quarter so he could fit in better and be able to watch more than infomercials and news.

After awhile, Heero wasn't really paying attention to the tv, he just kept flipping through the wide array of channels, all ten of them, just for the sake of amusement. Heero soon became fed up and after taking care of the dishes, went outside to sit up on the balcony, something he has done quite often since he got there. Heero sat up on the cement railing with his back against the building with one leg hanging off the side. The sun was starting to set and the sky was starting to show hints of orange with each passing moment. The cool breeze blew against Heero's face and through his hair as he heard the usual scuffling of feet below him. Most of the time he just ignored it, but this time, something familiar caught his eye.

A young girl, about his age, was standing on the curb of the street as if waiting for a taxi. Her long golden blonde hair caught his eye and bells suddenly began to go off inside Heero's head as an onslaught of emotions overcame him. Out of the blue, images of his little sister flooded his mind. 'What am I thinking? Jillian wasn't the only one with hair like that, plus she died thirteen years ago, it's impossible,' he scolded himself as he shook his head. Even after telling himself that, Heero still felt compelled to look at her, something about her was drawing him to her. Before he could get a closer look, a cab pulled up and she got in, Heero got a glimpse of her profile but that was about it.

Heero went back inside and sank back down on the couch and grabbed a pillow. 'What came over me? Nothing like that has ever happened to me before, why this girl? Her hair may be the same color as Jillian's but I've seen plenty girls with the same color as well and that didn't bother me. Why, did she of all people, do this to me? Why was it her that triggered this onset of feelings?' Heero sat there on the couch for most of the night trying to figure out what had happen to him that afternoon. He just didn't understand why a stranger could do that to him. 'Why was I so compelled to her? It doesn't make any sense!' Heero was getting frustrated but he just couldn't stop thinking about it. A sudden racket from the building next to him broke his train of thought. "Could you please keep it down," Heero said loudly through the walls.

The person obviously didn't hear him and the noise persisted. Heero already had a headache and this was the last thing he needed. Heero got up off the couch, threw the pillow back on the sofa and went over to his neighbor's place. He pounded on the door and stood there waiting for an answer. The noise stopped and he could hear muffled foot steps making there way across the room to the door. Heero had the words he wanted to say at the tip of his tongue but when the door was opened, he lost all of them. 

"May I help you?" a woman asked with a soft voice.

Heero looked up and met with the owner of that voice and he suddenly froze. Her hair was long and golden and her profile seemed all too familiar. 'It's her,' he told himself. He then caught a glimpse of her eyes, something he failed to capture earlier that day. Her eyes sparkled of brilliant blue, like sapphires. 'Why does she look so familiar to me?

"Are you going to stand there and stare or can I help you with something?" the girl retorted.

"Jillian?" Heero spat out, he didn't realize what he said until it was too late.

"Excuse, me?" the girl asked with a confused look on her face.

Heero shook his head and quickly responded, "I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else."

"It's all right," the girl said with a smile. "You must be my neighbor, sorry for the racket. I just moved in and I was putting some stuff on the walls. Oh by the way, my name is Relena."

Heero still in a state of shock, had a slightly delayed response. "I'm Heero."

"Nice to meet you Heero. I'll keep the noise down this time around," she said politely.

Heero just nodded, he was at a complete loss for words. "Goodnight now," she said as she closed the door.

Heero stood there for a moment staring at the door in front of him and then after regaining his senses, he went back to his apartment. 'What the hell just happened to me?' he questioned as he opened the door to his apartment. He decided it had been a long night and the bed was looking rather inviting at the moment. Heero flopped down on the mattress and laid there in the dark with his hands folded behind his head. 'Damn, I can't believe I said that. Idiot, what was I thinking? I'm even more psychotic than I thought, thinking that girl could be Jillian, she's been dead for over thirteen years, why would I think that girl is her? I think I need to get some sleep,' Heero said to himself as he shut his eyes. 


	4. Just Like Her

Just Like Her

Chapter 4

The dreams Heero had that night were not as sweet as he would have hoped. The nightmares had returned, the first time since he had left home. Heero woke up in cold sweats two or three times due to the horrible images that tormented his dreams. The last bout of nightmares had woken him up at around five in the morning, way too early for comfort. "Damn it!" he cursed silently as he shuffled into the kitchen, unable to sleep another wink. 

Heero brewed a pot of coffee and sat at the kitchen table and supped the bitter brew in an attempt to wake himself up so he could think a little more clearly. His head ached and his eye-lids were still heavy with sleep as bags underlined the rims of his eyes. He kneaded his temples with his forefingers and combed his hands through the mussed brown hair on his head. 'Why does this have to happen now? I was fine and now they've returned, what the hell is going on?' Heero wondered, he was still trying to find a cause to the sudden turn of events. 'It just had to be her, but why? No single person could have this kind of effect on me, or could they? This is so absurd! Why can't I just forget?!' Heero slammed his fists on the table in a fit of emotional defeat. He took a deep breath to calm himself down a bit and then got up from the table, with coffee mug in hand, and trudged over to the window to watch the sunrise. 

When Heero opened the window, a cool morning breeze caressed his face, chilling his cheeks ever so slightly. Heero stood there and gazed out at the bright orange sun as it crept up from behind the mountains, its light seeping through onto the valley floor. The sight of it was breathtaking but yet bittersweet, a touch of beauty thrown into a heap of ill fortune. 'First he took Jillian away from me and now this, what a cruel joke God is playing on me.' At that moment, things just didn't make sense to Heero, such as the reason for all of the chaos that has occurred in his short existence. A life doomed to be one of sadness and misfortune. Is that his destiny? It appeared so to him. Over his lifetime, he had gathered substantial evidence to prove his theory. He just couldn't understand the why of the matter, why him.

An onslaught of emotions and thoughts overwhelmed Heero's mind to the point where he felt as if his head was spinning. Heero shut the window and took a seat on the couch, this was too much for him to handle. He buried his face in his hands and cried, he was lost and confused and with no one to turn to. Sobs wracked his weary body for a good ten minutes before he succumbed to slumber that he had been deprived of for so long. His body laid curled up on the couch, the side of his face sunk into the cushion as his damp cheeks moistened the fabric of the couch. His eyes displayed a momentary peace, his sleep would be the only break in the roller-coaster of emotional turmoil up ahead. 

"Bang!" the noise echoed from the walls. "Bang bang bang bang," the sound continued repetitively.

A muffled grumbling came from the couch as a bleary-eyed Heero turned over on to his stomach and placed a pillow over his head. The noise persisted relentlessly as was the headache that throbbed in Heero's head. "Grrr, not again," he hissed into the sofa. "Doesn't she realize that some people are still sleeping?" Heero buried his head deeper into the cushion.

The banging raged on even through the pillow Heero had used for the sound barrier and that is when he finally realized that his attempts were futile. Heero chucked the pillow onto the floor and slowly picked himself up off of the couch. 'It's her fault that I couldn't get any sleep in the first place and when I finally do get some, she's the one to disturb it! Why me?' Heero ranted as he shuffled along the floor over to the front door. When he got to her door, he stared at it for a moment. The last time he was at her door, Pandora's box had been opened and a flood of emotions engulfed Heero. He figured at that point, what else could happen?

Heero rapped loudly on Relena's door and shortly after, the pounding stopped. The muffled sound of footsteps could be heard coming to the door. "Coming," a sweet voice rang out from inside.

The footsteps then stopped at the door as Heero stood there waiting for her to open it. Relena peered through her peep hole and a small smile graced her features. "Well hello there Heero, is there something I can do for you?" she chimed as she opened the door.

"Do you know what time it is? I'm trying to sleep you know and your incessant hammering is not helping me any," Heero informed his neighbor and to his dismay, she just smiled.

"It's twelve in the afternoon, I didn't think you would still be sleeping. Say, have you been crying? Your eyes are a little red and puffy. Are you ok?" her voice overcome with concern.

'Damn, I didn't realize it was so late,' Heero swore to himself. "Uh, sorry bout' that and I'm fine to answer your question," Heero blurted out, he forgot that he had been crying.

"No worries then," she responded. "Would you like to come in for some lunch? I was just about to make myself something."

The answer in Heero's mind was no, but that wasn't the word that came out of his mouth. "Uh, sure."

Heero mentally slapped himself in the head, this was only going to create more problems for him in the future. He followed the blonde haired girl inside her apartment, keeping his mouth shut since that is what got him in this awkward situation in the first place. "I apologize for all of the racket, the landlord said I could put things on the walls. I want this place to feel a bit more like home," she said as she walked in the kitchen. "Have a seat at the table. Would you like something to drink?" she asked reaching into the cabinet for a glass.

Heero nodded. Relena poured two glasses of lemonade and placed one in front of her guest. "I've still got quite a ways to go yet," she told him as she scanned her apartment before going back into the kitchen. "But I will have this place looking like home in no time," she continued as she opened the refrigerator door. Heero heard the shuffling of glass jars and plastic jugs and then her head popped back out with her hands full of sandwich ingredients. 'Why is she being so nice to me? She doesn't even know me,' Heero ogled her oddly. 

Relena observed her guest as she fixed them lunch, glancing at him from the corner of her eye as he sipped his lemonade. 'He sure isn't much of a talker. I wonder what was the reason for his crying? Hmm, I guess I should try a different approach to this. Small talk isn't going to work on him,' Relena thought to herself as she finished making the sandwiches. "I saw you at the University yesterday. Are you planning to attend there this semester?" she inquired innocently before putting the plate of food in front of him. Relena needed something to break the ice.

"Yeah," his answer was short and to the point.

"Maybe we will have a class together somewhere down the road," she told him as she took the seat across from him. 

Now, for the question that had been lingering in Relena's mind since last night. "Heero, who do I remind you of?" her tone of voice soft and caring. "You thought I was someone else didn't you?"

Heero looked up from his plate with a look of shock on his face. 'Damn, I didn't think she would remember that. Guess it couldn't hurt to tell her about it, she seems harmless enough. Maybe it will help me out in the long run. "My sister," he informed the girl sitting across from him.

"Really?" Relena was finally getting somewhere with him, he did have a pleasant sounding voice after all. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" she added.

"It's something I hold in the highest regards, so I guess you could say it's a good thing," Heero said, finally uttering more than two words.

"Well that's good to hear. How old is your sister?" Relena inquired further.

"She's dead," Heero told her bluntly. 

The conversation took an unexpected turn for Relena. A frown appeared on her face and she responded in a sullen tone of voice, "I'm sorry to hear that Heero."

"Don't be. It was thirteen years ago," Heero answered before taking a drink. He really tried to avoid the subject of Jillian at all costs, but for some reason, he didn't try to avoid it with her. The way she spoke was so comforting to him, with her soft and pleasant tone of voice. The way she looked at him, the way her eyes held such a great abundance of concern within them and, for a complete stranger.

"It's hard to lose someone, I know, I lost both of my parents when I was a child. I couldn't comprehend it at the time, but I felt as if God was playing a cruel joke on me by taking them away from me. It was later that I realized that I wasn't the only out there whom this has happened to," Relena replied calmly as she took a drink of her lemonade.

Heero was left without words. Throughout his life, he has held the same feelings as she once did, that this was all some kind of cruel trick played on him by God. 'How could I have been so selfish?' Heero told himself. 'I've been living in a world of self-pity and I couldn't even see that I wasn't the only one to suffer similar fates.'

"Heero? Is something the matter?" Relena spoke up to the silent Heero.

Heero brought himself back into reality. "Sorry. I'm fine, just lost in thought."

"I'm the one who should be sorry. Here I am, prodding a complete stranger on details of his personal life when in actuality, he's too nice to tell me to shut up," Relena commented.

Heero smiled for what seemed like the first time in ages. Relena noticed the gesture and gave Heero an inquisitive stare. "What's so amusing?" she questioned her guest.

"You sure do act strange. If I didn't want you bugging me, I would have excused myself already," Heero answered with a slight smirk tugging at his lips.

Relena giggled. "I'm sorry, I get this way generally when I'm around someone I don't know. The end result tends to be that I scare them off and I don't see them again. Guess that could be the reason why I don't have many friends. The friends I do have, know what I am like and have grown an immunity to me," Relena joked. "Honestly, I didn't think you would make it this long."

"I've scene worse cases."

They both laughed at that comment. Heero was amazed at himself for this sudden change in behavior. How could one such person do this to him in just a matter of hours? It is as if he has been revived from his reclusive state. There was definitely something about her that intrigued him and kept drawing him in closer. Maybe it was the fact that he had realized the truth about things, or just the simple fact that he had someone to talk to.

"Heero, can I ask you something personal?" Relena asked, changing the subject.

"Hasn't stopped you before," Heero responded sarcastically.

"I'm a little hesitant in asking this for the simple reason that I might dissolve this friendship the second I ask, but here it goes," Relena stated calmly. "Why were you crying earlier?"

Heero was silent for a moment, wondering if he should tell her this. The only ones who really knew the true reason behind the crying was his parents. Heero cried for nights on end when he was a child as replays of the accident resided in his mind. After several years had past, he told his parents that everything was all right, that the nightmares had stopped. He was afraid of burdening his parents for so many years after their hearts had healed. He didn't want to tell Relena for fear that she might think of him as a silly fool who cried too much for his one good. 'But wait, she's been through the same ordeal as I have, maybe she will understand. Couldn't hurt to try I guess.' 

"I couldn't sleep last night due to a great number of horrific nightmares. I kept waking up trembling and in cold sweats. I moved away from home in hopes of ridding myself of these horrible dreams, thinking that the reason for them was because I still lived at home. When I moved here, the dreams had stopped and I had some of the best sleep in years. Last night, for some strange reason, they came back. I woke up early after another nightmare and I managed to cry myself back to sleep on the couch," Heero explained.

"I know where you are coming from Heero. I was very young when my parents died so it had very little affect on me at the time. As I got older, I started having nightmares of their death and I would wake up crying most of the time. I disguised my discomfort and angst by acting quirky and perky to my friends and family. It was then that I met my dear friend Hilde, I was able to confide in her about my problems. Talking about things seemed to ease some of the emotional duress I had held inside for so long. I have been nightmare-free for years and Hilde is still one of the few people who can put up with me," Relena told Heero, giving him a reassuring smile, she knew where he was coming from.

Heero smiled inside, he had finally found someone who understood him. Relena had somehow managed to crack his shell and was slowly chipping away at it and it felt good. What he had thought would be an awful encounter turned out to be just what he needed. "Shoot!" Relena yelped, quickly putting her sandwich on her plate. 

Heero looked up at her. "I'm going to be late for work! Oh geeze, Mr. Fitzgerald is going to be steamed if I walk in just a second late! Sorry to leave you like this Heero but I got to run!" Relena said before making a mad dash to the door. "Oh and Heero? Could you lock the door on your way out?" Relena asked him sweetly as she popped her head through the door. "See ya later!" were her last words as the door slammed and the sound of footsteps echoed down the corridor.

Heero just smirked. This was definitely going to be an interesting relationship.


	5. Just Like Her

Just Like Her

Part 5

Heero stared at the door of Relena's apartment wondering what he should do next. He got up from his seat and gazed around her apartment. The space that belonged to the living room was adorned with a small sofa covered in a light floral fabric. Underneath one of the windows rested a small oak end table with a white vase filled with an arrangement of flowers resting on it; the other window led out to a little balcony just like his. The windows themselves were draped with an airy muslin cloth that flowed with the afternoon breeze. The tv was situated across from the couch against the wall amid an array of oak shelves that reached all heights, there was nothing on the shelves yet as Heero figured those must have been the ones she was putting up when she woke him up. The surrounding walls were bare and the other pieces of furniture had yet to be put in their places. On top of the misplaced furniture were a few moving boxes, not to mention the other boxes that littered the floor with trinkets popping out of each one. 'Well she's been busy. Just hope that she doesn't have anything else to assemble that makes such a racket,' he thought comically. 

Her kitchen was quaint like his, still a little bare from the lack of accessories. A little eating nook in the corner with a table and a few chairs; a refrigerator against the wall and a small window just above the breakfast nook looking out to the street below. That was all there was to it at the moment. He figured he shouldn't stay there too long so he concluded his tour with the living room, going beyond that space was intrusion on his part. As he walked out towards the entry, he noticed a single frame hanging on the beige painted wall. He glanced at it briefly before locking the door behind him and smiling slightly before shutting the door. Outside the door he froze for a moment as the picture on the wall resurfaced in his mind. There in the picture was Relena as a little girl with her parents and on top of her head, an old baseball cap. 'This can't be happening.'

---------

Relena dashed down the sidewalk and through the people in route to the library. 'Geeze, Mr. Fitzgerald is going to kill me! Hilde is definitely going to get a kick out of this one.' With her last burst of energy, she sprinted up the stairs to the doors, pausing a moment to catch her breath and figure out an excuse for being late. As soon as she went inside, the person she dreaded the most was sitting patiently at the front desk, and then there was Hilde, standing right behind him with an arm full of books and a huge smile on her face. "Well Ms. Dorilan, glad you could join us," he remarked as he neatly tucked his hands under his chin. "Since you look like you've put a great deal of effort in getting here, there is no point in me being angry at you."

Relena, relieved that her efforts meant something, smiled. Her cheeks were still warm and flushed from her trek to work, she had not run like that in quite some time. "Well just don't stand there Ms. Dorilan, hurry on and get to work."

"Yes sir."

Relena immediately went over to the returns cart to collect some books for reshelving. "What took you so long?"

Relena looked over her shoulder as she picked up a pile of books. "Long story Hilde," she whispered.

Hilde cocked an eyebrow and smirked. "Oh really? What's wrong? Did you meet a tall, dark, and handsome stranger?" she teased as they headed to the racks.

Relena was silent for a moment and Hilde jumped on it. "Oh I see, so you did meet someone? Who is he hmm?"

"It's not like that Hilde, he's just my neighbor who just happens to be tall, dark, and handsome," she informed her inquiring friend who was putting books away just as she was.

"Sure." 

"I'm serious Hilde," Relena exclaimed in a hushed voice. "I just met him yesterday."

"Really."

"Yes, really." Relena was getting a tad annoyed now. Hilde was Relena's best friend but she did have a bad habit of exaggerating things from time to time.

"Well, how exactly did you meet him? Come on Relena, it's your duty as my friend to tell me."

Relena just smiled. "It's a rather funny story actually, but Mr. Fitzgerald is giving us the eye again so let's try to look somewhat busy."

"Don't mind him, he's just a prude."

"A prude who can leave me penniless in a matter of moments."

"That's hardly the case Relena and you know it. You just do this for the fun of it."

Relena sighed. "I know, but I don't want to let on too much. I want a normal life."

"Yeah yeah I know. But that's beside the point, get on to how you met Mr. Handsome."

Relena blushed a slight shade of pink, she never did take into account how good looking her neighbor happened to be. He did have remarkable dark blue eyes and his hair was a gorgeous shade of dark brown. "As you all ready know, I have just moved into my apartment a few days ago. Well, I was putting up some shelves on my walls and I guess the constant pounding annoyed him a little. He knocked on my door and asked me if I could quiet down a bit. The funny thing though was that he didn't actually say that, he was left speechless at the sight of me."

Hilde jabbed Relena in the ribs with her elbow. "Way to go Relena."

"It's not like that Hilde. He uttered the name Jillian and it turns out that I remind him of his deceased little sister."

"Wow, how weird." Hilde's tone of voice grew a little more mellow as Relena continued with the story.

"And apparently he was a little distraught this morning and eventually cried himself to sleep well into the late morning. Had I known that he was sleeping I wouldn't have put up the rest of my shelves."

Hilde put her hand on her forehead. "Relena, you didn't."

"It was twelve in the afternoon Hilde, I didn't think he would be sleeping. Anyway, he came to my door, a little more irritated than the night before, and when I opened the door, I noticed how emotionally drained he looked. It was then that I decided to invite him in for lunch and some chit chat."

"Poor guy, what did you say?"

"Not much really, he's not much of a conversationalist. I tried my best to get him to open up a little but it was a futile attempt. I understood where he was coming from, I was a complete stranger and he wasn't obligated to tell me anything of the sort." Relena lied. In her heart she felt that it was not her place to tell Hilde what he told her, it was hard enough for him to relay his feelings to her and she wasn't about to tell all just yet.

"And soon after you realized you were running late for work."

"Yeah and I felt so bad, running out of my apartment like that and leaving him there. I hope he isn't mad at me."

"I doubt it. You're the kind of person that is hard to get mad at Relena. Hey, I've got an idea!" Hilde exclaimed as her eyes lit up with a devious twinkle.

Relena picked this up immediately. "Whatever it is you are thinking Hilde, the answer is no," Relena retorted before Hilde could get a word in.

"Ah come on, just hear me out Relena. Dinner at your place tonight. I'll bring Duo and you can invite your neighbor. Come on, I'll help you cook." Hilde's eyes pleaded along with her voice. "Just think of it as a house warming party. I'll even come over after work and help you tidy up the place."

"Oh, I don't know Hilde, what if he doesn't feel comfortable?"

"That is the last thing that's going to happen to him Relena. Duo will make him feel welcomed."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Relen remarked as she rolled her eyes.

"I take that as a yes then?"

"It really doesn't matter what I have to say in this, you are going to do what you want anyhow." It's not that she minded their company, she was just afraid that Heero wouldn't want to come and if he did, that he would be scared off by Hilde's boyfriend. Duo was a nice guy, but like his other half, he was boisterous and gregarious, the complete opposite of her neighbor as far as she could tell. The last thing she would want to do is scare him off just as she was getting to know him.

"Great, I've got everything planned out all ready."

"You're something else you know that Hilde? But I guess that's the reason that you and Duo are one of the only people that can put up with me."

"Got that right. Maybe your new neighbor friend will be able to put up with you as well."

"Let's just hope."

It was going to be an interesting night ahead of her. What happened that evening would determine the making or breaking of her new found friendship, the latter was the option she hoped to avoid.


	6. Just Like Her

Just Like Her: Part 6 

Heero had returned to his apartment dazed and confused. He would have been just fine if he ignored the picture, but he didn't and curiosity got the better of him. Heero paced anxiously in his living room, random thoughts fluttering through his all ready busy mind. 'This is all too weird for me. What the hell is going on? I think I need some fresh air.' Heero grabbed a light coat and went outside for a walk, if he was inside that building any longer, he would explode. So far that building had been the source of his anxiety and a bit of fresh air would hopefully relieve him of some of it.

It was a relatively quiet Saturday afternoon as the streets were scattered with a few people here and there going about on their business. Heero ventured down a few blocks to the town square, the hub of town. 'Maybe a good book will keep my mind off of things,' he thought the moment he looked at the town library. The town library was created when the building caught fire a couple hundred years ago, completely hollowing out the insides, leaving only a stone shell. Birds littered the steps and flew away the second he ascended the short staircase. Heero had not yet visited the town library, he found the one at the university to be more resourceful. If he wanted to find a good book however, this apparently was the place to go. Heero slowly parted the large wooden doors and quietly entered. An old smell filled the room, one of old parchment and wood, it was a nice aroma. The room had two floors, the top floor lined with a wrought-iron railing, both levels filled wall to wall with wooden bookcases and books old and new. "May I help you find something sir?" Mr. Fitzgerald asked politely.

Heero grinned slightly. "I'll know it when I find it, thank you."

The old librarian nodded and went on with his work. Heero lingered through the rows of books, slowly scanning the titles on the worn leather bindings. He knelt down a bit to take a look at the bottom shelf when he heard the hushed sound of two women talking. Heero ignored it and continued glancing in wonder at the marvelous array they had. "Can I help you with something?" a girl's voice quietly sounded next to him.

The words caused Heero to turn his head. What he saw was a petite woman with raven-colored hair tied back in a long braid and whose face carried small lenses that framed her turquoise eyes. Heero figured she must have been one of the librarians. "I'm fine but thank you," he responded politely.

Relena immediately recognized that voice from the other row and slid the books apart to see if her assumption was right. 'Heero, what's he doing here?' Hilde left Heero and came back down the aisle. "Hey Relena, there's a gorgeous looking guy over there, I think you should meet him," Hilde said dropping her friend a not so subtle hint.

Relena was still standing there speechless when Hilde grabbed her by the arm and dragged her to the aisle. "Excuse me sir, maybe my friend here can help you find what you are looking for," Hilde chimed as Relena tried to turn away, but to no avail.

Heero looked up and was astonished to see Relena standing there. 'Geeze, I go out of the house to get away from the anxiety and it just seems to follow me wherever I go,' Heero commented to himself. Silence ensued between them for a moment before Relena finally spoke up. "Hi Heero."

Hilde's eyes went wide and she looked over at Relena who was starting to blush. 'So this must be her neighbor,' she thought as a wicked grin crossed her face. "Well Relena, are you going to invite him or not?"

It was Relena's eyes that went wide this time and she glared at her friend, wicked thing. "Would you like to come over to my place for dinner tonight. Hilde and Duo will be there as well."

Hilde nudged Relena in the ribs. "Oh and by the way, this is Hilde."

Hilde gleamed and Heero just nodded. He wasn't sure how to respond to Relena's invite, especially since what had happened earlier that day. The picture really freaked him out and he wasn't ready for anymore surprises. He decided to take the chance though, what else was there to worry about, he had seen it all as far as he was concerned. "Sure." 

Hilde smiled. "Great, dinner will be at seven. See you then," Relena responded before turning to go back to work, Hilde right on her heels.

Relena quickly moved out of earshot before confronting her friend. "You weren't kidding about your neighbor Relena, man, he's gorgeous."

"What are you talking about? You all ready have a gorgeous man of your own. Oh and Hilde, if he hadn't been standing there, I would have killed you," Relena teased.

"Awe come on Relena, I took the liberty of doing it for you."

"I would have done it eventually," Relena retorted. 

"Right, I believe you there. Well anyways, you're welcome," Hilde said with a wide smile and twinkle in her eye. 

"And I thank you Hilde, for putting me on the spot like that," Relena remarked sarcastically.

Hilde flung her arm around Relena's shoulder. "Well, that's what friends are for."

The girls giggled and returned to their work.

Heero just stood there for a moment, trying his best to collect his thoughts as he peered through the book shelves at Hilde and Relena who were chatting away over at the book cart. 'What have I just got myself into?' Heero thought with a smirk before moving on to another aisle. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hilde called Duo at work from the library and relayed to him what was going on. When she told him that Relena's neighbor was a man, a good looking one, he was even more eager to attend. It would be a nice change for him to have a guy to talk to, girlish chit chat was not for him. The girls stopped by the market down the street from Relena's apartment to pick up some food for dinner. With bags in hand, they made their way back. "So Relena, what's the situation with Heero?"

"There really isn't a situation Hilde. I just met him yesterday and that was only for a brief moment."

"But you did talk today didn't you?"

Relena sighed. "Yeah, we did. Of course I did most of the talking, rambling mostly. He must think of me as a complete idiot."

"Hardly. If he didn't like you, he would not have accepted your invite," Hilde retorted. 

"I guess you are right."

"Of course I am silly! Besides, you're way to hard on yourself. Anyone who chooses not to know you is missing out," Hilde told her friend.

"Thanks Hilde, you're a great friend," Relena replied with a sincere smile. "Duo is a lucky guy."

"Yeah but let me tell you, I didn't give him many options. It was either be mine or have a swift kick to the head!"

"That sounds like you all right Hilde. For someone as strong as him, he sure is afraid of such a small woman."

"He better be," Hilde commented as she flexed her arm muscles jokingly.

The friends laughed and before they knew it, they were at Relena's place. Sitting on the doorsteps was Duo, awaiting their arrival. He was dressed in a pair of loose khakis and a snug black shirt. His brown hair was neatly tied back in a braid as a few strands of hair fell over his violet colored eyes. "You're here early Duo," Hilde said with surprise.

"Well hello to you to!" Duo replied with a grin.

"Hi sweety," Hilde answered with an equally bright smile. 

"Hi there Duo, hungry?" Relena commented.

"Hell yeah! I'm starved."

"Well as soon as you remove your carcass away from the door, your girlfriend and I can go cook something," Relena teased. She had a subtle way of getting things across.

Duo stood up and opened the door for the two girls. "So Relena, where's your neighbor friend?"

"Probably up in his apartment, I told him to come over at seven, he still has an hour," Relena replied as she unlocked the door to her apartment.

"Finally, a man to talk to," Duo said before flopping down on Relena's sofa.

"What's wrong? Are we boring or just not good enough for you?" Hilde teased before chucking a pillow at Duo's head.

"Believe me when I say I enjoy your company babe, and yours too Relena. It's just going to be nice to be able to talk about man stuff," he answered quickly after evading the pillow. 

"What exactly is man stuff?" Relena asked, cocking her eyebrow as she stood behind the kitchen counter putting the groceries away with her friend.

"Yeah, please tell us Duo. We women must know these kinds of things."

"Geeze, I should have just kept my big mouth shut," Duo sighed as he sank down in the cushions.

The girls giggled and went to work cooking. At Heero's place, he sat there patiently on the sofa staring at the clock on the VCR. He had taken shower and cleaned himself up a bit, he didn't realize how ragged he looked that afternoon. He had thirty minutes to go and he could hear them bustling around next door. Heero could still remember the look on Relena's face when she saw him at the library, it was rather cute he thought. The surprise in her eyes at her friend's audacity and the slight blush that came to her cheeks. He smiled at the thought. Time passed rather quickly as random thoughts traveled through his head. Before he knew it, it was finally time for him to go over there. 'I hope there won't be anymore surprises today,' was his final thought before he knocked on her door.


	7. Just Like Her

Just Like Her

Chapter 7

// "Come here sweetheart, look at your new baby sister."

Young Heero crinkled his little nose at the pinkish bundle in his mother's arms. His father swooped him up in his arms and brought him down near his little sister. After giving her a light kiss on the cheek, little Heero said hello. "Hi Jillian Nickel."

Heero's parents chuckled softly before his mother gave him a kiss. "It's Jillian Nicole sweetheart."//

"Ooh! He's here, I'll get it!" Hilde chimed awakening Heero from his momentary trance.

The apartment door swung open and Heero came face to face with Hilde once again. "Hi Heero, come on in."

Heero walked in and saw a young man sitting down on the sofa. "Heero, this is my boyfriend Duo. Duo, get up off your butt and greet our guest."

Duo quickly got off the couch at his girlfriend's request and extended his hand to Heero. "Good to meet you Heero!" Duo answered gregariously before leaning in to tell him something in a quieter tone of voice. "It's so nice to have a guy around for a change."

"Duo, what are you telling him?" A voice echoed from the kitchen.

Heero looked over his shoulder and saw Relena giving Duo a inquisitive stare. "Nothing I swear! Hey, would you like a beer or something? It will be awhile before dinner is ready."

"Sure," Heero spoke, finally getting a word in between the two. 'This guy sure is friendly,' he thought just as Duo handed him a beer. 

While the boys chatted on the couch, the girls were putting the finishing touches on dinner. "Wow Relena, he sure is a looker," Hilde said in a hushed voice while staring out into the living room.

"Keep it down Hilde," Relena quipped as she felt her face turn bright red with embarrassment. Hilde giggled at her friend's outward display of emotions. 

Relena peered from behind the counter to get a better look at Heero, she didn't really notice him when he came in. He was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a beige light pull-over sweater. His hair was ruffled in its usual manner and his face looked rather well rested than earlier that day. He was just sitting there sipping his beer listening to Duo ramble on about miscellaneous things. "You like him don't you?" Hilde said nudging Relena with her elbow.

"I don't even know him Hilde."

"Give me a break, I see the way you look at him, I'm not stupid you know. You don't look at guys like that too often Relena."

Relena sighed in defeat. "He's different Hilde, there's just something about him that I can't explain."

"Well whatever it is girl, I hope it is the right something," Hilde said with a smile as she glanced over at Duo. Hilde prayed that Relena would find someone, she was lucky to have found someone like Duo, there weren't too many men like him around anymore. She can still remember the day they met. She had just lost her job at the market and she wound up sitting on the curb of the street crying. Out of the blue, he came down and sat next to her, a complete stranger at the time. He had somehow made her laugh, she was feeling so awful at the time, with no money to make rent. Duo took her to lunch and miraculously offered her the spare room at his place until she was able to find a place of her own. That never happened because over time, they hit it off and she fell in love with him, and she hasn't left his place since.

Relena smiled slightly, her heart held the same wish. It would be nice to not be alone anymore. They quickly finished fixing dinner so Heero could have some relief after have his ear talked off by Duo. "Dinner's ready guys, come on in and sit down," Relena called as her and Hilde started putting food on the table.

"Great, I'm starvin'!"

Hilde just rolled her eyes and took the seat next to him. "Wow, this all looks great girls, good job." Relena and Hilde had cooked up a nice roast chicken with potatoes au' gratin, salad, rolls, and steamed vegetables on the side.

"Well thank you Duo. Welcome Heero, I haven't been able to get a word in with you yet," Relena commented.

"Yeah, I apologize for that, my boyfriend here sometimes doesn't know when to shut up," Hilde added.

"Hey!" Duo answered in mock resentment before Hilde gave him a light peck on the cheek.

Heero grinned, he now understood what Relena meant when Duo and Hilde were the only ones who could tolerate her, they were all a like. They were all sarcastic and outgoing, and for Heero's sake, he prayed that Relena won't wind up talking as much as Duo, even though he really didn't mind it all that much. "So Heero, how did you get reeled in by these two?"

"Geeze Duo, he's not a fish for pete's sake! Besides, we didn't reel him in, we invited him," Hilde said matter of factly.

"Ok ok, let me rephrase that Heero. How did they coax you into coming?"

"Duo!" both girls sounded.

"It's okay. I ran into them while I was at the library," Heero spoke, adding his first comments to the conversation.

"Poor guy, that's how it usually happens. They wait in the library where it's nice and quiet and then they corner you in the aisle knowing full well that screaming will cause too much of a scene," Duo joked as he played out the scene before them.

Duo's comments elicited a slight smile from Heero and a pair of scowling faces from the girls. "I'm kidding you two," Duo reassured them before taking a drink of his beer.

"So how was work at the library ladies?"

"Quiet as usual," Relena commented.

"Some of these people though are such slobs, leaving books all over the place. At least they could have the courtesy to pick them up and bring them over to info so we could reshelf them," Hilde complained before taking a bite of food.

"But that's your job hun, if it weren't for those slobs, you wouldn't have anything to do. By the way, what do you do Heero?" Duo added.

"I'm a waiter at the cafe` down the street."

"Cafe` American? That's a nice place. How long have you been working there?"

"Since I moved here little over three months ago." Heero was trying his best to keep his sentences short enough to the point where they answer the question asked, no more, no less. He figured if he stayed quiet enough, the three of them would do enough of the talking for him.

Duo cocked an eyebrow in interest. "Really, where from?"

"Heero's from the States' Duo," Relena informed her friend. She could tell Heero wasn't in the mood for conversation just by the length of his sentences. Of course with Duo around, it was hard to get more than two sentences worth in no matter who was there.

"I see, you're a Yank then. Not like that fact bothers me, it's just nice to have another guy around."

"Indeed Duo. Plus on the bright side, when we go out, Relena won't have to go out by herself anymore, she can take Heero." 

"Hilde!" Relena cried as her face turned a bright shade of crimson. It amazed Relena at how calmly and cool Hilde spoke when it came to matters of embarrassing her friend. Heero glanced over at Relena from the corner of his eye and cracked a smile brought on from Hilde's comments.

"What?" she replied innocently.

Duo and Hilde both cracked up. Hilde wasn't doing this to be mean, she was doing this because she saw a connection between the two, it was evident at the library and she was going to do everything in her power to fuse that connection. The rest of the night had passed rather smoothly as the party chatted away about various subjects of interest. Duo of course got the most in during the conversation with inserts from the girls in between. The rule that girls talk twice as much as men did not apply where Duo was concerned. Despite his boisterous behavior, Heero enjoyed Duo's company, it was nice for a person to have such a lively spirit within them. He also noticed that Hilde appeared to be the more outspoken one between the girls, at least when they were together. Relena was like a toned down version of her friend Hilde. These were Heero's superficial observations of the pair since he did not know them well enough to comment on them any further. As far as Relena was concerned, he couldn't explain his thoughts about her coherently enough to make any bit of sense.

When dinner was through, the guys took their drinks and went out on the patio for some fresh air while the girls cleaned up the kitchen. "That seemed to go well," Hilde remarked as she cleared the dishes from the table.

"Yeah, I was really surprised Duo didn't scare him off. He is the complete opposite of Heero."

"Well he isn't much of a talker, but when around Duo, there's not much that can be said," Hilde said as she handed off a stack of dishes to her friend at the sink.

"Heero didn't do a lot of talking this morning either. I did most of it and just as I was getting him to talk a bit, I had to go to work. I think it was just because he didn't know you two."

"He doesn't know you either but he apparently talks to you," Hilde pointed out as she waved the wet butter knife in her hand.

Relena said nothing and looked over her shoulder through the glass door out on to the patio. The boys were leaning over the railing, drinking their beer. Heero appeared to be off in space, his eyes directed out towards the dark landscape. He was just listening to Duo as he rambled on about a subject unknown to her. "He's a quiet one that's for sure, but you know what Relena? I wouldn't let this one get away from you," Hilde said softly as she too looked out onto the patio.

After the girls were done, they poured themselves a glass of wine and sat down at the kitchen table to wind down for the night. "So, what do you know about him Relena?" Hilde inquired innocently.

"Not much really, I've only really talked to him for a total of an hour or so and I did most of the talking. I think I freak him out or something though." 

"What?"

"When I first met him, he called me Jillian."

"Why? Do you remind him of someone?"

Relena was silent for a moment before answering. "I remind him of his dead sister."

"Is that good or bad?"

"He told me good but honestly, I think it's the complete opposite. I'm not quite sure though."

"Well, why don't you ask him Relena?"

"It's really none of my business Hilde."

"But if it effects any relationship that you might have with him, I think you deserve to know if you trigger good or bad emotions."

Relena looked outside at Heero and then back at her friend. "I guess you are right." 

The girls discontinued their conversation when they saw the guys retreat back in towards the house. "I'll talk to you about this later Relena," Hilde whispered before taking a sip of her wine, Relena just nodded.

"Hilde, are you about ready to go babe? I've got to get an early start in the morning," Duo said in the middle of a yawn.

"Yeah, we're all done in here. Thanks for dinner Relena."

"Thank you two for coming. Here, let me walk you two out."

After Relena said good-bye to her friends, she went back towards the kitchen where Heero was at. He was leaning up against the wall, staring out the glass doors of the balcony. "Would you like to go outside?" Relena needed a bit of fresh air, not to mention she hadn't talked to her guest all night.

Heero nodded and followed Relena out onto the patio. Relena leaned up against the railing and looked out at the speckled lights of the city below. A soft breeze blew through the air and glided gently across her face as the moon cast its iridescent glow upon her skin. Heero stood beside her, looking at her from the corner of his eye. Throughout the night, he had not taken one moment to stop and look at her, how beautiful she really was. The soft blue sweater she wore that evening played off her baby blues and her golden hair framed the gentle features of her face. He could only imagine that this is what Jillian might have looked like if she would have lived. "Heero, can I ask you something?" Heero looked up giving her his full attention. "I've had something lingering on my mind, about something you said earlier today. Since I remind you of your sister, does that trigger good or bad emotions?"

Heero didn't answer right away, he just turned his head back out towards the city. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"Honestly, I don't know," he uttered into the night.

"I see," Relena answered with equal softness. "Sorry for bringing it up. So, what do you think of Hilde and Duo?" 

"They are definitely meant for each other." Relena laughed.

"Well I'm glad you came Heero."

He tilted his head back in her direction. "Company is always nice, especially when you're alone all of the time."

"It is, I'm fortunate enough to have both Hilde and Duo in my life. If it weren't for them, I would be alone."

Heero stared up at her, he could sense the deep emotions underlying her voice and for some reason, he wanted to reach out and hold her. Instead, he just smiled a little and said, "Well, if we're neighbors, I guess we won't be lonely anymore."

Relena turned her head and returned the smile. "Yes."

"Do you mind if I call it a night, it's kind of been a long day for me?"

Relena laughed. "Yeah, I think I will do the same. I'll walk you to the door."

"Well, good-night Heero," Relena said sweetly before giving him a light peck on the cheek and then closing the door.

Heero placed his hand on his cheek where Relena had kissed him. An odd feeling came over him, like he had felt that sensation before. He shook it off as nothing and returned to his apartment.


End file.
